HOUTZDALLE — The West Branch softball team continued its strong late-season push Thursday with a big 7-1 victory at Moshannon Valley in a game that could have big implications for the Lady Warriors in both the Mo Valley League and Inter-County Conference (ICC) North Division.

The matchup proved to be a pitcher’s duel most of the day between Lady Warrior Bella Nelson and the Damsels’ Annabeth Anderson.

The teams traded runs in the first inning — West Branch got a RBI double from Haley Woodling and Mo Valley a RBI double by Kylee O’Donnell — before the Lady Warriors grabbed a 2-1 lead in the third on a Lindsey Bainey RBI double.

The score remained 2-1 into the sixth before West Branch’s offense exploded for five runs on six hits — all with two outs — to help seal the win, which avenged an 8-4 setback to the Damsels at home on April 14. Elaina Sabol, Bella Koleno, Bainey and Woodling all had RBI singles in that big sixth-inning outburst.

Koleno and Megan Eyerly each finished the day with three hits, with Koleno having a RBI and scoring three runs. Bainey, Woodling and Sabol each had two. Bainey and Woodling both knocked in a pair of runs, with Sabol adding the one RBIs.

With the win, West Branch (11-7) — the winner of four in a row —now controls its own destiny in terms of winning both the Mo Valley League and ICC North titles with a huge showdown at Curwensville looming on Monday.

WEST BRANCH 7,

MOSHANNON VALLEY 1

Score by Innings

West Branch 101 005 0 — 7

Mo Valley 100 000 0 — 1

West Branch—7

Bella Nelson p-dp 5000, Bella Koleno lf 4331, Lindsey Bainey 3b 3022, Haley Woodling ss 4022, Shasta Manahan 1b 4010, Finley O’Hare c 4000, Megan Eyerly dp-p 4030, Aubrey Chutko 0100, Cheyanne Bush cf 4110, Elaina Sabol 2b 4121. Totals: 36-7-14-6.

Moshannon Valley—1

Annabeth Anderson p-1b 3010, Ava Robison c 3010, Brinley Kephart ss 3110, Vanessa Miller 1b-p 2010, Kylee O’Donnell rf 3011, Jocelyn Vereshack dp 3000, Abigail Beirlair 3b 3010, Mya Walstrom lf 3000, Grier Williams cf 3000. Totals: 16-1-6-1.

Errors: WB 0, MV 1 (Beirlair). 2B: Woodling, Bainey; O’Donnell. HBP: Bainey (by Anderson); Miller (by Nelson). SB: Chutko, Koleno, Eyerly.

Pitching

West Branch: Bella Nelson-6 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1 HB; Megan Eyerly-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO.

Mo Valley: Annabeth Anderson-5 2/3 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 8 SO, 1 HB; Vanessa Miller-1 1/3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO.

WP: Nelson. LP: Anderson.